


Here Goes Nothing

by IMPULSE_IMPULSES



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: I might switch POVs at some point, I'm bad at tags, Keith can't deal with feelings, Lance is not, M/M, Minor Langst? Maybe, Post Season 3, Season 3 Spoilers, Shiro is wise, Talking about feelings and shit, broganes, this is kinda gay, we'll see, who knows not me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 17:05:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11741421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IMPULSE_IMPULSES/pseuds/IMPULSE_IMPULSES
Summary: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3.Keith tells Shiro about his feelings for Lance in a desperate attempt to get over them.It doesn't work.Meanwhile Lance comes to grips with his own feelings for Keith and his place within the team.





	Here Goes Nothing

**Author's Note:**

> I'm thinking about continuing this one for a few chapters with some POV switch in Chapter 3. Anyway here's some shit.

Keith stormed out of the training deck, boots squeaking on the floor as he walked. He felt like two-day-old shit, but that was nothing new. He was stressed. He hadn't slept in days, worrying about how Shiro felt seeing him constantly try--and fail--to fill his shoes. He worried about his abilities as a leader and felt disgustingly guilty about the choices he’d made. Keith had almost gotten his friends killed countless times and felt sick to his stomach whenever his thoughts drifted back to it. And this? This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. 

Training was stressful enough without Lance strolling in and being, well, Lance.  
Obnoxious, loud, argumentative, and horribly attractive, which annoyed Keith more than the other traits. Lance was doing his usual shtick, waltzing in and bragging about all the girls he would attract as the new red paladin, and Keith just left. He'd thought that after their conversation in Keith’s room, about filling new roles and Lance feeling like a tag along, something would've changed, but that was wishful thinking. It was the same infuriating dynamic as before, with Lance picking fights and pushing Keith’s buttons, albeit slightly more respectfully, as far as he could tell. 

His face fell into his hands and he stifled a yell. He was too frustrated to even think. He knit his fingers in his hair and tried to regain his composure, but he hesitated too long. 

“Keith?” A voice said. It sounded concerned, and worse, not too far away.  
Shit.  
Keith raised his head and hastily put his hands at his side. “Hey, Shiro.”  
The former black paladin’s brow was creased in concern. “What's wrong?”  
Of course. Not ‘Is something wrong’, he knew instantly that it wasn't really a question of if.  
Keith tried to come up with an excuse. “You know, the pressures of leadership.”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed. “You're lying.”  
“I'm not lying,” Keith retorted. “That's...part of it.”  
“Then what's the other part?”  
“Not important.” Keith said, a little too quickly. 

"If you have something that might jeopardize the team--"  
"No! No, nothing like that. This won't mess with the dynamic," Keith said. "I hope." He added.  
Shiro crossed his arms. "Then what's wrong?"

"Uh...I, um......well....." Keith faltered. Did he really want Shiro knowing this? He wasn't exactly the teasing type, but he had his moments. Did he want to give this information over to the one person here who knew him better than anyone?  
But that was just the thing. Shiro knew him extremely well, better than he knew himself. If anyone could help, he could. 

"I have a crush on Lance." Keith blurted. He winced. No going back now. At least pad it down with more talking so it's less out there. "I know that sounds crazy, since he's an idiot, and believe me, that's not lost on me--"  
He paused mid-sentence when he noticed Shiro smiling at him. "You knew this already, didn't you?"

Shiro spread his hands. "I know you, Keith. Besides," he added, and a teasing note crept into his tone. "You're pretty easy to read."  
Keith felt his face grow hot. "What?" He cried.  
"You're not exactly subtle." Shiro said, his smile genuine now.  
"Oh, god," Keith groaned, his face falling into his hands. "Does he know, too?"  
"Who, Lance?" Shiro asked. "I doubt it."  
Keith peeked through his fingers. "But you just said--"  
"Lance is a lot of things, but perceptive isn't one of them."

"What about the explosion?" Keith asked. "He figured out that the droid wasn't Rover before any of us knew anything was wrong."  
Shiro raised his hands in mock surrender. "I've been wrong before. At any rate, I don't think you need to worry." Shiro folded his arms again. "But having feelings for him can't be the reason you're upset. What's wrong?"  
Keith resisted the urge to laugh out loud. His having feelings for Lance was a perfectly valid reason to be upset, but he kept his mouth shut. 

"Well, you know, it's Lance," Keith didn't think that made much sense on its own, but Shiro nodded as if he understood. "He's never going to see me as anything more than a rival. I don't even get it!" He cried. "I never did anything to antagonize him. He just hates me for no reason. Besides, he's made it pretty clear he doesn't like guys."  
"Are you sure about that?" Shiro asked. "You're kidding, right?" Keith said indignantly. But one look at Shiro’s expression told him he was serious.  
"Has he ever told you one way or the other?"  
"Well, no--"  
"Then we can't assume."  
Keith hesitated. That's all he'd been doing so far, was assuming, and he started to wonder whether he had the wrong idea about Lance. "I guess."

“There's always a chance.” Shiro said.  
“Doesn't matter. Even if we assume he is into guys, he still hates me.” Keith said.  
Shiro shrugged. “Lance has a lot to deal with. Insecurities of his own. The bickering probably isn't anything against you, you're just an easy target.”  
“I am not an easy target.”  
Shiro chuckled. “You react whenever Lance picks a fight. He may start arguments, but you don't do anything to stop them.”

“Yeah, well,” Keith muttered. “It's not my fault he's jealous of me.”  
“It's not,” Shiro agreed. “But if you want him to like you, you're gonna have to actually talk to him.”  
Keith laughed dryly. “You think I haven't tried? Just the other day he showed up prepared to step down as the blue paladin, and I panicked and did a piss-poor job of comforting him. I don't know what I'm doing.” Keith clenched his fists. “I can't lead like you.”

“Yes you can,” Shiro said. “You just need to apply yourself.”  
“You said that about the Garrison and look how well that turned out.” Keith muttered.  
“Did you listen the first time?” Shiro asked.  
Keith didn't answer. He didn't need to. They both knew full well that Keith had blatantly ignored the advice once before. 

“As for Lance,” Shiro said. “He’ll come around.”  
“Well if I could just talk to him--”  
“Here's your chance.” Shiro said. His gaze wasn't on Keith anymore but was directed a little ways past his shoulder. He was smirking. 

Keith didn't want to turn around. But he forced himself to and his fears were confirmed. There Lance stood, grinning ear-to-ear, blissfully unaware of the conversation Shiro and Keith were just having. He looked even better than he had in the training room, if that was possible. His skin was clear, his smile maddening, and his eyes bright and mischievous. He stood in a nonchalant pose, one knee popped so all his weight was on one leg. His toe tapped furiously, just another example of his nervous energy finding outlets through his limbs. 

Lance raised an eyebrow. “What's going on?”

And Keith’s brain stopped working.


End file.
